-- Aster --

I found myself wandering the city trying to figure out what I should do. Everyone was preparing in their own way and I had no idea what I should do. I didn't even know if I wanted to be on TV, but I couldn't just abandon them. "Graaaa!" I shouted in frustration. When I looked around people were looking at me as I sheepishly moved quickly away.

Once I was a good distance away I started to break down what I wanted to do. First, do I want to be on TV? Not really. Will I join them if I need to...yes. Yes, I would. So that solves that problem. Now, what should I do?

Prepare.

Prepare for what?

A long journey.

What do I need for that?

Money.

Ok, now I'm getting somewhere. Now, what am I going to do for money? I still have to do my monthly blacksmithing. Should I make weapons? I shook my head. No, I'm not high enough rank to make much of a profit. That thought line lead me to a different idea. Should I make armor for everyone?

No, they already have their own, and armor can screw up magic. It would take time working with each of them to make the custom armor.

What about weapons for everyone?

I guess I could so that...do I even have the money for the materials? I felt the few coins in my pouch. No no, I do not.

I'll probably only break even after doing the required quests.

Maybe I'm looking at this wrong. What else could I do?

Rogue quests. I could do a few rogue quests, but I'm still too low rank.

I stopped walking and smiled, wondering when the next rank-up test is.

One moment I was contemplating what to do. The next I found myself on the rooftops diving down into the shadow guild.

Entering the hall I see the receptionist there like always, and for the first time, I feel a power fall over me as I enter.

So I really am disguised when I enter. I stopped to look over the receptionist in her pirate-eques outfit. I wonder what she actually looks like?

She smiles wide seeing me enter, "Well look who's back. It's been a while."

"Just a month or two," I said calmly.

She let out a giggle, "So are you here for a quest or looking for eight of them, like usual?"

"Depends. When is the next rank exam?"

That took her a back as she blinked, "Well that depends. What rank are you right now?"

It had been a while since I've been back it took me a minute to remember, "Rank three."

She looked at me surprised, "Oh nice...ok well depending on your level you have done." She pulled out the book recording all the quests, "You have done enough low-level quests to go all the way up to a rank six test. To do any higher you'll need to do a bunch of six and seven quests."

That's jumping three ranks, and all because of the few thousand low-level quests I've done. I could feel some sort of catch to it, but I needed to know, "What do I need to do to reach rank six?"

The receptionist blinked, I think she was shocked I didn't ask about the lower ranks, "First be level twenty, then you can go over there, and grab one of the missions off the wall. If you succeed then congrats on your rank six." She pointed to a shelf behind her with a big six above it with seven quest eggs.

I looked at the eggs than her, "No test? No comity?"

She smiled wide, "Nope! Those are only for ranks one through three. It's to make sure you're good enough."

I stared at the shelf, "And these are actual requests?"

"That wall?" She shook her head, "No those are specific missions, with specific criteria for rank six."

"Is it the same for rank four and five?"

"Those are over there." She pointed to another pair of shelves with a four and five above it. "It's very self-regulating. If you're qualified you can just grab the mission and go. If you succeed it even drops the rank stamp."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Wait, I don't have to come to you anymore?" I asked surprised.

"Technically you never did." She said with a chuckle.

"But I brought so many to you, and turned so many in."

"Yes you did, but for them to count towards your rank you need to check them in with me. They're all recorded in your book. You can't even take the missions without the right rank. Blight, I don't really write anything down when you turn it in. I just download it to the database. I have the pen for the drama.

"Ok then," I said tentatively, not really sure what to say.

"So what rank are you going for?"

"Six," I said without thinking.

"How the blight did you hit 20 in so little time?" She practically shouted.

I let out a long sigh, "A lot happened."

She saw the weariness on my face, "Oh...I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"Just grab an egg, and let me know which one you got I'm curious." She said physically pushing me to the shelf.

I laughed, "Ok."

I reached the shelf and began to look over the missions.

Shadow theft.

Send an announcement that you will steal something from a museum or other high-profile area. Theft must occur with. The announced day and must not be identified or seen. Recorded

To start speak, "I am the greatest thief."

I guess that makes sense, but it's missing information.

Shadow delivery.

Pick up several different packages indicated by the egg. Do not be seen when picking up or delivering you have one hour per package.

To start speak, "Delivery in the Shadows."

I've done plenty of these not surprised this one is here.

Sabotage.

There is always conflict. Follow the eggs to the conflict and pick them aside. You will then sabotage the other. To complete it must appear to be a series of accidents or random occurrences. Must hinder plans to a point that the next operation cannot go forward.

To start speak, "Break and fall, be overrun."

Ok, makes sense why a shadow would do something like this.

Secrets.

Intel gathers. Find the secrets of individuals indicated in the quest. Hand report into the guild to finalize.

To start speak "I hunt for secrets."

Moving to the next mission I was starting to notice that there were very different missions.

Shadow hunt.

Hunt the hunter, without being discovered hunt a monster in the prowl. Must kill hunter moments before killing its prey.

To start speak, "I hunt and take the final strike."

So dick move the mission.

Escape.

Go to the central most area of the city declare you are a shadow rogue. Tag 6 members of law enforcement before leaving. Escape the city. Then return to the city and guild. Entire mission is 24 hours.

Recorded

To start speak, "I step from the shadows to challenge this city, come catch me. In the light. Before I return to the shadows"

This one sounds fun, but kind of crazy.

Prison break.

Political prisoners are being held, and need to be freed. No one can die and prisoners cannot identify you.

To start speak, "I bring salvation, you will be free."

Just no.

I finished looking over the missions and looked over at the receptionist confused, "These are all really vague."

"You have to start the mission to get all the rest of the mission's details." She explained.

I decided to ask for her opinion, "Which one do you think I should take?"

"Depends on what you want to do after?"

I tilted my head in confusion.

Her seeing this explained. "So notice how these are kind of all over the place."

"Yes?" I was wondering about that.

"Well, if you want to do those types of mission at that rank you'll need to pass that specific mission."

I looked back to the shelf really considering what she said. "So I'll need to do all of them in order to do any task?"

"Correct!"

I let out a low whistle, "That could take a while."

"It's supposed to be over years. Not months Mr. overachiever." She pointed at the bottom shelf, "I mean three of those would take at least a couple of months. Minimum."

I looked over considering, "I guess that's true." And I didn't have the time to do those ones.

"So what do you want to do?" She asked me.

I started to think aloud, "More of a need than a want. I don't have a lot of time before I have to leave, and need money to make stuff."

"Ah, the everlasting problem of the crafter."

Six of the seven had direct missions I could do after but one of them didn't, "What quests can I take if I take Escape?"

That perked the receptionist up, "That one is interesting."

"Theft, delivery, and taunt she counted them off on her fingers. She explained the one I'd never heard of, "Taunt, it's similar to the escape itself, pretty much you tweak the nose of people in power.

"What does it mean when it says recorded?" I asked.

"The egg will record you completely during the mission. If it is interesting then you can get extra money based on a number of viewers."

"That explains the flair thing. Why would we want to do that?" I asked confused.

"It's simple. To entertain people." She said with a sly smile, "People love this kind of thing. Watch a thief and then watch them grow with every mission. Because they are forced to, with people watching they know all your tricks."

That sounded like a lot of work for little reward, but I said, "Sounds like it's really risky."

"It is. It also pays the best." She looked at me seriously now, "Honestly, with your time limit if you don't want to be recorded your only option is shadow hunt. And those missions are bodyguard duty, and the missions can vary a lot. The delivery one is fine, but again the missions can vary in length, some deliveries are pretty far away." She explained.

"So do I escape, or steal?"

"Escape is a lot harder than you would expect." She said cryptically.

"What does it mean by tag?" It was also strange how much information it gave. I knew something was up with this one.

She froze looking at me confused, before something seemed to occur to her, "Remember in your training. The invisible signs during pickpocketing?"

"Vaguely," I remembered two giant arrows above the instructors.

"That."

"And how do I do that?"

She shook her head sadly, "I keep forgetting how young you are."

"Thanks?"